A Returning Fear
by Legendary Mage
Summary: A space pirate recalls the confrontation he had with samus years ago and fears for the reoccurance of those events. (Chapter 3 is up!)
1. Recalling The Past

982456 had been assigned to Metroid research on Tallon IV after the events that happened on Planet Zebes many deca cycles ago. Despite the hostile metroids he had to monitor, he was much more happier than he was guarding the base on Planet Zebes. The hunter had annihilated both of his comrades, his child-hood friend 973456 and his Space-Pirate Military academy buddy 854367.  
  
It all happened in a flash to him those many cycles ago. They were all guarding the entrance to Norfair when the door suddenly opened. Out of the door stepped the Armor clad Hunter. 982456 had been examining the condition of one of the security sensors. As he turned around to see whom had entered the sector he stood aghast at the presence of the hunter. As soon as the Hunter cleared the door it's attention was drawn to 982456 two friends who assumed the battle position. 982456 barely had a chance to react before a blindingly bright light that shot out of the Hunter's gun vaporized his two friends. Fortunately the hunter did not spot him, and after seeing what the Hunter did to his friends he stood there silently in fear. As the hunter left the room through the hatch as quickly as she came he realized how close he had came to losing his life. He wiped the beads of sweat from his eyes and made haste back to the command center.  
  
But now that was all behind him and he was working hard in the Phazon mines trying to solve the riddles of the metroid. He still despised the Hunter for what he had done to his friends, but was confident that he would never have a chance to exact his revenge since the hunter was probably a million light years from here.  
  
982456 had a busy morning composed of energy absorption, and growth rate tests with the metroids and had checked all the cooling systems thoroughly, he wasn't taking any chances around these metroids as he was fully aware how deadly they could be. The metroids are a mysterious organism that has the ability to float through the air and latch onto their prey with large mandibles. They then absorb their prey's energy and store it in their own body. What so strange about this is this "energy" is that it takes no form, yet without it the prey dies.  
  
"Subject number 846 is acting rowdy!" Reported one of his co-workers. He quickly rushed over to its containment tank, which contained the metroid. It repeatedly thrashed itself against the tank as it screeched loudly. He seized the control panel from the desk in front of the tank and slowly turned the temperature dial. As the cool air filled the containment tank the metroid became less active as the cordite glass of the tank became fogged from the sudden change in temperature. The metroid finally descended and rested at the bottom of the tank.  
  
Satisfied with himself he started to return to his quarters for his daily rations. Just as he was opening the hatch he heard a loud siren. The room became lit with red warning lights as a voice over the intercom came to life.  
  
"Security alert! Security Alert! All Soldiers report to battle stations immediately. There has been a security breach in Sector 1.", warned the voice. A deep fear inside his heart, which had been dormant until now, came to life.  
  
"No it can't be!" he said to himself in a panic. "There's no way the hunter, could possibly have located our base!" 


	2. Dynamo Malfunction

982456 prayed that he wasn't right in suspecting that the hunter had found their base. Fortunately, he was in Sector 5, furthest from Sector 1. So he doubted that the hunter could break through the base's ranks. He had also heard rumors of an "Elite Pirate" program that which turned normal space pirates, such as himself, into mutated perfect killing machines with the phazon mutagen. He chuckled to himself and realized that there was no way the hunter could reach him through all the guards and drone security.  
  
Confident that he was safe, 982456 continued through the hatch. And found his daily rations on the table. He missed the real food that he used to eat at the academy. Instead, he was forced to dry food pellets that left him with a bad taste in his mouth. He removed his safety mask and seized a claw full of pellets. He reluctantly poured the pellets into his mouth and quickly drank water through a tube located in the wall.  
  
Feeling nourished 982456 returned to the lab to conduct more research on the metroids. His fellow scientists and him were the only ones in the lab since the soldiers were all defending against the intruder. He walked over to the force field which was the only thing protecting him from the metroids and the phazon in their environment. This did not concern him however because despite the power surges they had been having all day, the force field could run without power from the dynamo. Only the control panel, which was encrypted with a complex code, could deactivate the force field. He carefully studied the metroid's behavior and took notes.  
  
982456 was surprised he hadn't heard any new news about the intruder, so he assumed that the intruder had been annihilated. If that was the case, he hoped it was the hunter who invaded the base.  
  
Suddenly without warning the entire lab rumbled violently. 982456 clamped onto the wall will his claw to retain his footing. Without warning the lights started to flicker on and off several times before the room finally became pitch black. Remaining still 982456 listened as he heard the low humming of machinery behind the wall he was clamped onto. The reserve power activated and the room became lit. Worried despite his previous confidence he checked the force field relived to find it was still functioning properly.  
  
"What could have happened?" 982456 asked himself "The dynamo must have been destroyed to have the lab suffer a power outage. But what could have destroyed. it." 982456 paused as his fear of the hunter once again came to life. "No, the hunter could not have penetrated the ranks, it had to have been a huge malfunction in the dynamo." He forced himself to believe. 


	3. Metroid Escape

Trying to regain focus 982456 returned his attention to the metroid he had previously pacified. He was shocked to see that the tank's cooling system was not functioning and the metroid was once again thrashing wildly at the cylinder tank it was contained in. 982456 watched in horror as the corodite glass started to crack and give way to the metroid's repeated tackles. He realized that the cooling system they had recently installed was never hooked up to the reserve power they were now running on.  
  
Without hesitation, 982456 yelled for his co-workers. "Go get the ice beam!" he exclaimed. The scientists scuttled to a small compartment in the wall and shattered the glass shielding the ice beam. One of the scientists held the cannon on shoulder like a bazooka and took aim at the containment tank. The metroid let out a long shriek as it broke through the glass and immediately flew towards the closest scientist. Responding promptly to his pursuer the scientist fled across the room.  
  
982456 looked in horror at the scientist's struggle to escape the metroid and wondered would was keeping the scientist with ice beam. As he glanced over his shoulder he saw the scientist pressing buttons franticly trying to get the gun to fire. The scientist then stared into the barrel of the beam to see if anything was keeping it from firing. 982456 yelled to the scientist and told him to stop, but before he could finish the beam fired a shot. A huge white ball of energy and engulfed the Scientist's face. 982456 ran to the scientist's aid still aware that the metroid was chasing his other co-worker was being chased around room by the metroid. As 982456 approached the frozen space pirate he realized that the blast of the gun had cracked the ice as it froze him. This meant that scientist's head was probably shattered into thousand of pieces.  
  
982456 taking caution not to disturb the scientist's head trauma he pried the Ice beam from the stiff hands of the scientist.  
  
"Fool didn't know how to operate this," 982456 said to himself. Hoisting the Ice Beam onto his shoulders he returned his attention to the escaped metroid and the scientist it pursued. He took aim at the metroid and charged up the ice beam. The beam fired a loud shot and the recoil knocked over 982456. As he lifted his head he watched as the orb of energy distorted the air around it as it sped towards its target. He had missed the metroid by several inches. The orb of energy crashed against the wall behind the metroid and covered a large portion of the wall in a sheet of solid ice. 982456 regained his footing and took several more shots with the ice beam; they were all evaded easily by the nimble metroid.  
  
Finally, the Metroid made a quick lunge for the scientist he had been chasing. The scientist fell to the ground as the metroid latched only the skull of its prey. 982456 could only watch in horror as his co-worker's flesh melted as he in screamed in agony. Soon all the metroid left was a cloudy green gooey slime, which dripped off the metroid's mandibles.  
  
With renewed determination, 982456 took several more shots at the metroid. The metroid responded with a loud shriek as if it was letting out a battle cry and charged at 982456. Alarmed by the Metroid's speed 982456 took a stepped back and fired franticly at the metroid taking no attempt to aim. The metroid swiftly drew closer to its prey as it dodged the ice beam continuously. The metroid finally rose high into the air and made a downward swoop towards 982456. All 982456 could was fire one last shot before he crouched onto the ground awaiting his death. He heard what sounded like the Ice Beam hitting the wall, he had missed, and with all hope lost started to cry and plead for mercy. He was then startled by a loud shattering noise to above him. As he opened his eyes he found himself rained upon by shards of the now frozen and shuddered metroid. He let out a large laugh as he realized he did hit the metroid with that last shot after all.  
  
Just as he was finally relived and feeling optimistic the ominous tone of the speaker came to life.  
  
"Intruder now Identified as the hunter has now breached Sector 4, all military staff is requested to report to sector 4 immediately. All research staff is requested to continue studies."  
  
"Damn, the hunter shouldn't of gotten this far" 982456 said to himself. "I wish I could find a safe hiding place until the threat is gone, but I have to watch over these damn Metroids!"  
  
Shaken and only with his rookie co-worker left, 982456 had no choice but to continue studying the Metroids and praying for the hunter to not make it any further into the complex. 


End file.
